Boosting Brown Fat Through Diet
The fat-burning properties of brown adipose tissue can be boosted by cold exposure, certain flavor molecules, and arginine-rich foods.
Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Miranda
Arginine is one of the 20 amino acids used to build proteins in our bodies. Its main function is to maintain proper protein synthesis and cellular and organ function, particularly muscle function.
Arginine is also implicated in regulating blood pressure, as it may be converted to nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator. This vasodilatory function may explain why consumption of arginine-rich foods has been linked to improvements in erectile dysfunction symptoms. Arginine may also play a role in the regulation of fat metabolism, perhaps through up-regulation of mitochondrial and brown adipose tissue activity, improving our bodies’ fat-burning capacities, which help maintain a healthy weight.
Dietary sources of arginine include soy, nuts, seeds and insects, the proteins of which contain high percentages of this amino acid. Watermelon (both pink and yellow) is a good source of citrulline, which the body can convert into arginine.
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The fat-burning properties of brown adipose tissue can be boosted by cold exposure, certain flavor molecules, and arginine-rich foods.
Men eating pistachio nuts experienced a significant improvement in blood flow through the penis accompanied by significantly firmer erections in just three weeks—perhaps due to pistachios’ antioxidant, arginine, and phytosterol content.
Of all animals, the bodies of insects may have the lowest saturated fat content.
The reason animal proteins trigger the release of the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1 more than plant proteins may be because the relative ratios of amino acids in animal proteins more closely resembles our own.
The arginine content of nuts may explain their metabolism-boosting effects—though, in a list of the top food sources of arginine, nuts don’t even make the top ten.
Watermelon is a rich source of citrulline, which has been found to improve erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction (impotence).